A Timely Explanatory Word, plus ‘Fridays are for… Newspaper Articles’

If you are reading this, you are probably aware that I posted an anonymous open letter from an SBC seminary professor to the trustees of Southwestern and Southern seminaries on Wednesday.  Since I had to be out of town at a retreat which lasted from Monday morning until Thursday mid-afternoon, and then I had to travel home, I asked for no comments here or on SBC Outpost, where it was re-posted.  So, I left town to go to where I essentially had no computer access, assuming that would be the case, as well as having assured my anonymous professor friend there would be no comments allowed.

Imagine my shock when I found out that Outpost decided to take comments, in spite of my clear request not to do so.  Interestingly, though, my anonymous professor friend took it better than I did–except for one part–and, in regard to this, I completely agree.

When he noticed the comments, he actually took the criticism, including about anonymity–as well as the later obligatory “drive-by” from well-known Conservative Resurgence mouthpiece, Hershael York–quite well, except from those people related to Outpost.  Why?  Because I had let these people know that I had been contacted by a professor who insisted on anonymity, who has some very important information to offer.  They knew my conditions in re-posting it to Outpost from my blog and seemed positive about doing so, and I gave assurance to my anonymous friend accordingly.  As a result, we expected their support, even if their opinions about anonymity are different than mine–and, by the way, unlike the CR, those having a hand in SBC Outpost are allowed to disagree with each other–and we do fairly frequently!

Bottom line: Outpost guys, I still love you and respect you.  But, in my humble opinion, you blew it this time. 

Relatedly, how can I blame my professor friend for feeling betrayed?  After all, unless you have been a professor–I have–who lives in great fear of losing your job–your only income to support your family–if you express even the smallest disgreement with, or concern with, the direction of the school where you teach, how can you understand where he is coming from on this?  And, this single experience may well mean that many more professors or administrators who have serious reservations about much of what has happened at that school, or decisions currently being made, will be even more afraid to speak out in any way.

Boys and girls, what that also means is that many people inside and outside the SBC will continue with the mistaken impression that Paige Patterson and his blog mouthpiece, Malcolm Yarnell, speak for the whole faculty/staff at SWBTS and that Al Mohler and his mouthpiece, Hershael York, represent a monolithic faculty/staff viewpoint at SBTS.  I can assure you that nothing could be further from the truth in both cases, but this incident is going to make it a lot harder for anybody else to find that out.

As for me, Hershael and the others can feel free to say whatever they wish.  “If I perish, I perish.”  When I was thinking about starting a blog after the SBC meeting in San Antonio, I sought the wisdom of some already hosting blogs and got some helpful advice.  The best among those thoughts was “Make sure that your ego is not in it, so that, in that respect, you have nothing to gain or lose.”  Well spoken.

As a result, it’s irrelevant to me what is said about me.  It is, however, highly relevant that you understand that the points made in my friend’s open letter are true and that those in and around the inner circle at both SWBTS and SBTS know they are true, unless, of course, they are in utter and complete denial.  Even more relevant, most of these insiders are going to try to deflect legitimate criticisms or questions by focusing on my friend’s anonymity, or what has taken place behind the scenes here since yesterday.

In conclusion, if you hear nothing else, please hear loud and clear my sincerest apology to my professor friend for what happened.  He deserved better and, when the dust settled, even though I didn’t do it, I am still responsible for letting him down.

Repentant of my failure to protect a friend, Boyd

Yet again, here is my column from last week’s issue of the Canyon Lake (TX) Times-Guardian, as an example of my writing style for a different audience, which has a significant evangelistic focus.

                 “Gentle Rain and God’s Grace”            

At least five mornings per week, for health reasons, I walk for an hour and a half.  This morning, about halfway through my walking course, the drizzle turned to light rain.  That made me think of something I observed last Saturday afternoon, coming back from our church men’s group retreat, which was held so far out in the southern end of the Texas Hill Country that we were less than an hour from the Texas-Mexico border at the Rio Grande, not far from Del Rio.           

It rained Saturday and some of our men started discussing cisterns, in order to capture the water for later usage.  That, of course, is the easiest way to make effective (and efficient) use of the water, since, otherwise, with all the exposed rock in the Hill Country, the vast majority of even a slow rain still runs right off into the creeks, then the rivers and lakes, then rather quickly to the Gulf of Mexico.           

Well, while still walking, my thoughts roamed on beyond how cisterns capture the water for effective use.  I remembered this verse in Matthew’s Gospel: “[God] causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (5:45). 

This reality that God shows exactly the same mercy and care and concern for all people, whether they are moral or immoral, close to Him spiritually or so far away that they refuse to admit that He exists, is called by theologians “common grace.”  It is named that because things originating with God, like the sunshine and rainfall mentioned in Matthew 5:45, are the common experience of all mankind, completely irrespective of whether or not they are Christians.

However, there is another kind of grace—which can simply be defined as “God’s undeserved mercy”—that, to paint the whole picture, we should mention here.  It is often called “special grace” or “saving grace” (not to be confused with the recent TNT network program starring Holly Hunter).  In contrast with “common grace,” “special grace”/“saving grace” is not received by all people.  It comes only to those who believe in Jesus Christ and, thus, become Christians.  We read about it in Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—not from works so that no one can boast.”

But, there is also a sense in which salvation in Jesus Christ is a combination of “common grace” and “special grace.”  You see, as John 3:16 states, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.”  Thus, as part of God’s “common grace,” Jesus went to the Cross and died for the sins of the entire world.  But, only some people will believe in what Jesus did in paying for their sins, thus receiving God’s “special grace.”

This is why it is often said “The death is Christ is sufficient for the whole world, but is efficient only for believers.”  That means that every person who ever lives can potentially be saved, because Christ’s death was enough (“sufficient”) to pay for their sins and make them right with God.  But, it also means that God is not going to force salvation on anyone.  Christ’s work only becomes practically applied (“efficient”) in an individual’s life when they trust Jesus Christ’s death on the Cross and Him alone.  As Acts 16:31 says in a very compact way: “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved.”  It’s that simple.

To get back to the illustration with which I began, the gentle rain is like the loving sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross to pay for the sins of every single person who has ever lived or ever will.  But, though potentially “sufficient” to meet many needs, the rain runs off and is of little positive effect (“efficient”) unless it is caught in a cistern (or some other container).  That is like the open arms of faith, embracing God’s grace and receiving Jesus as your Savior and Lord. 

Coming Next Week: Two more ‘break in series’ posts on Monday and Wednesday, as well as my column on Friday, before returning to the series on the Holy Spirit the next week.